


Scenes from a Multiverse

by KiltedGuy



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: AU, Gen, Multiverse, oneshots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-03-15 01:41:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13602915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiltedGuy/pseuds/KiltedGuy
Summary: A place for me to post all those AUs and Ideas that, in a perfect world, I’d have the time and energy to fully flesh out and develop.Everything you see in here is up for grabs if you want it, just leave a comment.Alternatively, you got a one shot prompt you’d like to see written? Again, leave a comment!Pairings and such will be random, but marked in each chapter summery.Enjoy!





	1. Inner Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kind of a cross-over with Zootopia and an original idea I had, so I don’t expect folk to really get everything in this one.
> 
> No Pairings  
> Contains Mild Gore descriptions.

Jack wasn’t sure how long he stood there, lost in a memory that wasn’t,  _couldn’t_ be real.

His years spent hunting Beasts had given him more exposure based immunity to whatever tricks they employed to draw in prey, from the simple, mundane physical means such as tentacles, barriers, and the like, and the far more subtle examples. Fear rooting you in place. Locking you within loops of your own nightmares. All relatively easy to escape if you kept your head and knew what to look for.

This was new. And in hindsight, it was easy to see how no one reported the disappearance of its victims until the schools themselves brought it to folk’s attention.

He knew it wasn’t real. He knew the Beast was probably moving in for the feast, the damned Angler Fish of a monster dangling its lure inside his own head... But he couldn’t bring himself to pull away, the corners of his eyes beginning to water as ghostly voices passed through his mind.

_So proud of you son..._

_Jack, have you packed? We’re going home..._

_Gimmie a hug Jack... c’mere..._

It wasn’t real, and he had the scars on his temples to prove it, but he couldn’t help himself, sinking deeper into the fabricated memories of a happy family, smiles and laughter, sunshine an-

He rose out of the dream like state as though a bucket of ice water was poured over him, staggering back and clutching at his skull as unearthly shrieks filled the air, along with cackling, almost mad laughter. Blinking furiously to clear his vision, he spied his firearm, dropped to the floor and snatched it up, twisting round to where his partner...

He let his ears droop a little, brow furrowing. He was doing that damned Rodeo thing again.

The crimson fox was clambouring over the beast that had half emerged from whatever interdimentional hidey hole it had fashioned for itself, blades glinting in the pale street lights filtering in through dirt encrusted, broken windows, a savage grin on his face as he carved deep into one of the roaming tentacles that almost wrapped itself around his leg. Thick, purple ichor sprayed from the wounds, smoking on the wood as it landed, an acrid, sour note filling both mammals nostrils.

Despite himself, he inhaled deeply, greedily, gut growling to itself as he clasped both hands around his pistol. Shaking off the mental equivalent of drooling, he rode the barrel, took aim and  _focused_. A bullet, coated in black fire roared out of the barrel and slammed into the beast’s hide, the dark blaze consuming a chunk of the creature’s bulk, drawing out an almost deafening bellow as a result. Nick laughed as the lovecraftian horror bucked and thrashed, attempting to pull itself back into the relative safety of the other side of reality, moving through flailing limbs and tendrils like smoke. Almost exactly like smoke, his form dissolving into something like oil blowing in a breeze, reforming once more into a fox just in time to ram his knives in somewhere delicate. Purple splashed against his snout, and shamelessly he let his tongue slip out to collect the offering, eyes widening as the flavour burst in his mouth.

A moments distraction was all the beast needed, grabbing hold of Nick’s leg and slamming him against a wall, sending his knifes skittering along the floorboards, tossing the winded fox in the opposite direction. Freed of the mammal’s bulk, it began to retreat, drawing the edges of the tear in reality it made back around it...

Or it would have, if it weren’t for the large, black claws that formed above the striped rabbit, splayed open wide much like his paw. Grunting, he thrust his arm forward and gripped on thin air, the claw clutching on to the beast. Bracing himself against the floor, he pulled, hard, yelling as he dragged the beast back out, inch by inch, lifting it by the head and slamming down against the floor with a sickening crack and a rush of violet. A groan from the side was enough to convince Jack that his partner was still alive and yelled out as he tried to focus on keeping his  _other self’s_ arm on this side of reality, arm shaking as he clung onto whatever scraps of corporeality he could.

”Nick? Nick! Now would really be a good time! It’s getting ba-“

 The wounded, struggling beast thrashed against Jack’s grip, scattering whisps of shadows until the claws were insubstantial enough for it to break free, roaring through its mangled face straight at the rabbit. Cursing, back against the wall, Jack gripped his firearm tightly and took aim at where any other reasonable creature would store its brain, pushing more of his energy into the chamber, mentally cursing how long it took him to charge a single shot.

Rearing up before him, maw hanging loosely with squirming, writhing filaments  emerging to draw the striped agent down its gullet, the beast loomed over Jack and... paused.

Its body quivered, as though attempting to shake off a drop of water. Then again, and again, until it started to slap at itself with its own tentacles, shrieking loud enough to rattle the windows still in their frames. Not one to look a gift in the mouth, Jack slid along the wall while keeping his gaze on the beast and scampered on two legs and a hand, clutching his weapon against his breast, feeling the thrumming of a full charge pulse against his fingers. Turning his head forward, he slid to a halt just before he collided with Nick, glancing up his torso, eyes glowing a near sickly yellow.

”Oh...”

Straightening up and letting the charge dissipate, he stood next to the motionless fox, watching as the terror writhed and shrieked, rolling and smacking itself.

”Not a pretty way to go...”

Both fox and hare smirked as thousands of skittering critters swarmed over the beast, blades slicing, mandibles crushing, fangs impaling. Each of the mini terrors with pale yellow orbs for eyes, carving apart the abomination piece by piece.

With a mental wave of the hand, the swarm parted like the Red Sea, leaving the wheezing, quivering mass of flesh, bone and tendon to ooze on the floor, surrounded by a faint haze of smoke. Slowly blinking, Nick sent his swarm back to the other side, inhaling deeply as his focus was back in one body as opposed to spread out over thousands.

”You wanna do the honours?”

Drawing his pistol with a shrug, Jack strode up to the nightmare, it’s single remaining eye rolling out madly until it focused on the mammal standing over it. Quivering, the bloody mess of sinew and bone struggling to drag itself away from the striped apparition above it...

A sneer and a twitch of a finger sent a bullet deep into the floor, skull fragments and grey matter splattering against the nearby wall. Jack watches the body for a few moments and then sagged as he finally relaxed, clumsily bolstering his pistol, glancing over as Nick carved off a tentacle. Sniffed. A flash of teeth and motion, and a bloody chunk was tore out, purple strains trailing down the fox’s chin.

”Not bad... Kinda sweet...”

He held out the flesh, using his free hand to carve into the chest cavity, tail starting to beat.

”Hey, you want the heart? Going, going...”

Jack stared at the offered flesh, gut growling and clenching up on itself, his maw watering slightly. Fresh. Bloody.  _Meat..._

With difficulty he twisted his head away, feigning disinterest as he brushed down his suit, swallowing a lump in his throat.

”I’m not hungry.”

He paused, closed his eyes with a wince as he heard Nick pause in his cadaverous explorations, passing up behind him.

”What did you say?”

Agressively tugging at his cuffs, he tried to plough through it, making to move towards the door.

”I said, i’m Not-“

A surge of smokey oil, and Nick was between him and the door, eyes narrowed.

”Bullshit. Serious Bullshit.”

The fox took a step forward, and despite himself Jack matched him, foot by foot, backing up slowly towards the corpse.

”We’re  _always_ hungry. And if you’ve found a way to beat the hunger and not tell us...? No, no, I’m calling serious bullshit here...”

He didn’t struggle as Nick gripped his jaw, tilting it to peer into his eyes.

”When did you last eat?”

Weakly, the rabbit began to mumble, eyes half closing.

”There were those tacos an hour ago...”

Nick stares down at his partner for several long moments before releasing him, kneeling until they were eye to eye.

”Jack... How long?”

Jack clenched his fists tightly, staring down at the ruined floor, cursing the fox in front of him with every swear known to mammal kind, and a few that weren’t, mumbling through gritted teeth.

”That Nightmare about two... month ago.”

He half watched as Nick took a step back, moving to clutch at his forehead before redirecting his paws, gesturing into the air as he struggled to find the words, his tail bristling in visible anger. With a snarl he tossed the half eaten tentacle onto the corpse and twisted to head for the door, pausing only to glare back at Jack.

” _Eat it_. All of it.  _Both_ mouths. I’ll be in the car...”

If it were possible to slam a door while in a nebulous state, Nick would have found a way. As it was, the resulting silence was deafening, and served the same purpose.

With a shaking paw, Jack reached for the discarded tentacle, holding it in both hands in front of his face as the air rippled behind him, tearing open in a way that laughed at the face of such things as physics. Two shadowy claws lunges out and embedded sickle like fingers into the remains, yanking it across the ground and into the hole in reality, just as blunt buck teeth sunk into tough flesh, tearing off a chunk...

Jack’s eyes watered as the flavour burst over his tongue... tongues. Feeling teeth shredding flesh and juices trailing down his chin as his Lagomorphic body rocked slightly, his attention drawn between two forms. Eventually, he remembered to swallow the mouthful on this side of the void, as his other self tore its prey to shreds...

An hour later, Nick held out the pack of wet wipes as Jack climbed into the passenger’s seat, staring ahead at the old warehouse they just cleared. While the rabbit carefully dabbed his face clean, Nick spoke up.

”They day you can beat the hunger. That you can just will it away, like pain, or anger.”

His eyes flicked over to where Jack was tucking the stained wipes into his pocket, arms folded over the steering wheel.

”We’ve seen enough good mammals turn into monsters trying to chase that particular myth. Don’t force me to have to hunt you down one of these days.”

Jack tugged his seatbelt into place, sighing as he stared out the window as Nick pulled the car out of the industrial sector, half mumbling to himself.

”That’s assuming that we aren’t monsters already Nick...”

The pair continued in silence, Nick occasionally shaking his head with a faint trace of gold in his eyes, finally reaching over to the glove box and pulling out a folder, dropping it into Jack’s lap.

”Look, cheer up Stripes... See, we’ve got a new recruit coming in, you’ll like her, she’s a bunny too... Been seeing since she was a kid from what I hear...”

Jack let Nick’s babbling wash over him and took the olive branch as it was intended, letting the fox’s voice become a soothing white noise in the background as he opened up the file, glancing at the candid photo attached, a mostly grey rabbit crossing a street.

Judy Hopps... He only hoped she was tough enough to endure what was coming...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not my finest work, but the goal is just to get these ideas written down to they stop cluttering my brain.  
> ^_^;


	2. Fox of many Tales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know Ghost!Nick has been done excellently well in the Wilde Spirit series, but I couldn’t help but want to take a crack at it myself! Enjoy!
> 
> Some slight hints of WildeHopps

Judy climbed into the chair within her smaller scaled office with a soft groan of relief, carefully adjusting the cushion to favor her left hip. The twice damned orange jacket and ticket machine were tossed onto the desk, and the hare allowed herself a few blissful seconds of reprieve as she stretched out her legs, toes splayed.

”Have I mentioned how much I just  _love_ parking duty?” 

The sarcasm dripping from every word brought a smile to the taller fox’s face as he casually walked in behind her, hands in pockets and his tail tied with a red ribbon at the tip, swaying faintly in amusement. His newest monstrosity of a shirt was rather glaring, an almost unholy mash of green and red in a Hawaiian pattern that he seemed to wear for the sole purpose of offending Judy’s eyes. Not that she would let him know how much it got to her however. It would just give him one more thing to gloat about.

Before he had a chance to reply however, his ears pricked up and swiftly he sidestepped to avoid the hippo stomping halfway through the door, mildly glaring at the intruder ignoring him.

”Talking to yourself again freak? Why Bogo keeps you around I have no idea...”

Judy sighed and pushed against the desk, chair swivelling round until she was face to face with Higgins, one of the most antagonistic mammals she had the misfortune to meet. An ass kisser of the highest order, the rotund mammal was all sweetness and eagerness around his superiors, whilst scathing and abrasive to everyone around and below him. Which in his mind, meant everyone. Under his folded arms, she could just see his long suffering partner, Wolford, massaging his temples behind him while avoiding looking into the room. Judy half suspected that the chief assigned them as partners to try and rein the hippo in a little and could only wonder how long it would take for the mild mannered wolf to finally snap.

”Maybe because I can talk to my colleagues without resorting to insults a five year old would find petty. Or maybe it’s due to the fact i’ve Solved more cases in my two years than you have in your ten.”

She doubted the hippo heard the barely bitten back snort of laughter from his partner, Wolford glancing over and winking as Higgins gaped like a hung fish, the few brain cells knocking around in his skull taking time to line up long enough to form a comeback. With a deep snort, he tossed a folder at the rabbit, causing her to twist to just barely catch it, wincing as her hip flared with pain. Oblivious, or just uncaring towards his colleage’s distress, the hippo pointedly wiped his hand against his uniform, as though afraid to be even associated with the case.

”Another of your damn...  _Wooooeeeeooo_ cases. Think you can handle it Bunny?”

Ignoring Higgin’s attempt at a spooky noise, she turned back to her desk, already pouring over the information found within the folder, half heartedly waving over her head.

”Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Higgins glared and grumbled to himself as he tried and failed to come up with a suitable comeback, twisting round to leave and barking at Wolford to hurry up after him, ignoring the fox stepping in front of him with folded arms...

Whose eyes closed at the larger mammal walked through him, shuddering at the sensation. Grabbing the door, he braces himself to pull, pausing only as Judy spoke up under her breath.

”Don’t. He isn’t worth it.”

Glancing from door to the swiftly retreating mammal’s arse, he sighed and released his grip, gliding over next to Judy in a slow bound. As Nick landed, Wolford pokes his head round the door frame, mumbling an apology and rushing off behind his partner. Probably to stop him from taking his frustrations out on any other officer they came across.

**I could curse him for you if you like?**

Judy shrugged, half glancing at her Guardian, then the sky, wondering if the drop in karma would be worth it.

”He’d still try to pass off any bad luck back to me... Even though he can’t prove it, really don’t want to deal with that kind of hassle.”

She have a thoughtful hum and twisted round to look at the door, fingers tracing the badge at her hip in reflex.

”But I don’t suppose you could bless Wolford? I can’t begin to imagine what every shift with that asshole’s like.”

With a theatrical bow, Nick gripped the ribbon at the tip of his tail and pulled it off with a faint rustle of silk. The singular tail then began to split, much like the petals of a flower, Black tips starting to faintly glow with a pale, unearthly light.

**Blessings aren’t my style Sweetheart, but for you? Anything.**

She rolled her eyes at Nick’s usual flirting, trying to hide the faint flush of pink along the insides of her ears. As Nick began to gather his aura behind her, a comforting warmth filling the room as a result, she turned back to the desk to pour over the case when another sharp jolt burst out from her hip, causing her to cry out faintly before she could stop herself. Almost immediately, those glowing tails curved round her, all five points hovering over her wounded side.

**Do you want me to...**

She waved him off gently, letting her paw rest of his faintly chilled arm, shaking her head.

”I’m fine, honest. You exhausted yourself treating it this far. I’ll be fine.”

**You are most certainly not fine.**

Relectuantly however, he drew his tails back, letting them sway slowly behind him as he folded his arms.

**Judy... You have to face facts. That little... badge just isn’t enough to keep you safe. _Us_ safe. We need something more, mmm... compatible.**

Pulling her badge from her belt and laying it onto the table, Judy stared deeply into the well polished surface, foot thumping onto the floor in a mix of exasperation and anxiety. It was a familiar conversation between the pair. She always argued they couldn’t even use the badge if it didn’t connect them in some way. He always complained about how hard it was to push himself inside the symbol of the mammals who had killed him.

It was the only argument that threatened to evolve to raised voices, words and actions that couldn’t be taken back. She had almost crossed that line once, to Bind Nick, however unwilling he was, to see her goal at the time to completion. And though she knew she would never willingly enslave a spirit, the fact that she could, that anger tended to bring out the worst in mammals, left them both eager to avoid arguing if they could help it.

Reluctantly, she pulled the badge back and slipped it into her pocket, turning to face Nick head on.

”Alright... I suppose you have an idea?”

As he beamed, both in victory and in sheer natural smugness, she vowed to wipe that smirk off his face. Next time. Always next time. If she admits to herself that she liked how the dumb fox looked when he smiled, she swore she’d combust on the spot.

——————————

**Turn right here. Then the fourth left.**

She followed his directions without question, taking the time between turns to inspect the buildings. Old, some repaired, others left to quietly crumble. Windows smashed so often the wooden boards were just left in place rather than attempt another replacement. An old car frame, the parts that could be sold elsewhere long since plundered, leaving the skeleton to rot in place.

”Where are we...?”

**The oldest parts of Happytown. Only the most unwanted of mammals still eke out a living here.**

As she turned into the street Nick pointed out, she caught a flash of white, eyes both physical and spiritual drinking in details. White fur. Ceremonial gown. No feet.

”Nick...”

**I saw her. She’d Bound there Carrots. Not much you could do unless you brought a jackhammer with you.**

Her grip tightened on the steering wheel. If there was one thing she hated, it was to feel useless. And leaving a spirit bound in place was about as useless as a medium could get.

**Relax fluff. It’s not as though she’s forgotten. A few offerings are left out whenever folk can afford it, or are certain they won’t be stolen.**

She tried not to let her surprise show as she navigated the tight corners, flushing a little at Nick’s laughter.

**Fox Channellers are rare Carrots, but every one of us are sensitive... They know she’s there, and they’ll know when she moves on.**

Judy couldn’t figure out to reply to the bombshell her Guardian had so casually dropped. Even among her own family, the gift of even sensing spirits was rare, let alone full blown Shaman like herself. Easing up on the accelerator and glancing over at her lounging Guardian, she tried to sort her throughts into something vaguely casual.

” _Every_ fox?”

Totally subtle.

Grinning at his little victory, Nick pointed out a turn off the beaten path, fighting himself in the passengers seat. Sighing while mentally chalking up another tally for Nick in her mental scoreboard, she pulled in dutifully, squeezing the car in next to a rather ornately painted van.

 ————————————

Judy flinched back from the slamming door as Nick chuckled above her shoulder, dangling in the breeze. The short mammal she had glimpsed seemed to radiate an aura of sheer rage that made him feel at least elephant sized to her more spiritual senses, and with a scowl she rounded on her Guardian, arms folded.

”Is this all a big joke to you?”

Nick flipped round until his head was level with Judy’s, albeit upside down, still wearing that smirk that Judy had learnt from experiance meant that her lack of knowledge was once again going to the topic of their more colourful conversations.

**No love lost between Cops and Foxes Fluff. Try again, I’ll Take care of it.**

Grumbling about the most unhelpful spirit ever, she thumped against the door again and took several steps back as Nick floated down to where she had stood, barely flinching at the baseball bat that swung through his chest.

The Fennec’s face switched from anger to surprise then suspicion in quick succession, peering over the spectral vulpine’s shoulder at the waiting Judy. With s scowl, the door slammed in Nick’s face, who rose a hand to hold off Judy’s retort, examining his claws and cunning them against his chest as they waited.

Eventually the door opened wider, the shorter fox grumbling as he waved the two inside.

”Shoulda said you were customers... c’mon in. Ye break it, Ye bought it, and that includes the wards.”

As the desert fox walks deeper into his storehouse, Judy yanked on a floating Nick’s bound tail, hissing under her breath.

”Customers? Nick you’ve seen my apartment and I can barely cover that! I thought we were picking up something of yours or something!”

The fox merely gestures for her to calm down, following their guide down the dimly lit corridor, keys rattling as he unlocked lock after lock, glancing back at the odd pair.

”Never seen no fox buddying up with a bunny before. A cop bunny at that...”

Releasing the last lock, he shoved the door open into a brightly lit storehouse, Judy rubbing at her eyes as they adjusted, glancing around with a slowly growing sense of awe. Around the entry way were the usual offering type gifts, even some paper models of popular items for burning into the afterlife, as well as sweets, liqueur, incense and such. Beyond that was a wall filled with shelves, Nick letting out a barely audible squee as he floated over for a better look, fingers wiggling above the rows of cards and paper slips with various shapes and patterns inked on them. Judy found her gaze wandering over various implements, Athemae daggers for ritual work, specialised inks, etched runes... a clearing throat pulled both their attention back to the store owner as he climbed up next to an old fashioned register, hands on his hips.

”Cash only. I don’t do ‘Credit’ an shit.”

Giving him a weak grin, she reached out, grasping thin air a few times before yanking on Nick’s tail, dragging him away from ogling several phrase cards.

**He has a level five fire incantation for sale! Level five! Add that to the list!**

Finnick watched as the bunny dragged the spirit around behind a stack of shelves, ears twitching as they picked up the occasional word. Budget. Shoebox. Something about blueberries.

**Relax Fluff, Relax... I’ve got this covered... just fill up that basket there...**

Glancing around, Judy say a stack of baskets lifted from various stores, her lips becoming a thin disapproving line as her toes twitched. Pushing her police duties aside for the time being, she tugged one free from the pile and started loading up, half an ear listening to Nick’s various recommendations. Various incantation cards for Nick, several exorcising vessels, including a rather ornately carved Rowen wood stave, instruction books for various wards and a rather large parcel of various offering foods that her fox spirit near drooled over. 

**These will do perfectly... Plus we need a more compatible Medium...**

Finnick snorted and climbed onto the counter, fingers itching with his silver cored bat laying just beneath his feet.

”That shit don’t come cheap... And if you try to make a run for it, i’ll Bite yer face off.”

The snapping teeth caused Judy’s ears to fold back, glancing to her Guardian hovering just above her.

”Niiiiiick...?”

Her spirit calmly waved her down and curved one of his tails around his waist, running his fingers through the fur with an air of concentration. With a short help of success, he drew his fingers out, a gleaming, shimmering pearl rolling around his fingers. With a grin, he held the orb between fore and middle fingers, winking down at the fennec staring lustfully at the spirit’s treasure.

**I believe this will cover the bill? Plus a new medium... Plus maintainance for... Say, a year?**

Finnick pulled his jaw up with a dull clack of teeth, narrowing his eyes at the smirking spirit, snatching at the air his tails had been waving through mere moments ago.

”A year? You gotta be kiddin’ me!”

Nick only grinned wider and started to toss the glowing jewel from hand to hand, always just out of the storeowner’s reach until the fennec let loose a tirade of curses that almost burnt Judy’s ears off and caused several ward books to combust, jumping down off his counter.

”Damned spirit! Fine! Deal! A year! God’s damned Trickster!”

Shoving a Crate aside, Finnick scowled and pulled at an iron ring set into the floorboards, tanking up a trapdoor. At Nick’s gesture, she made to climb down before the mortal fox held out a paw against her chest, the other held up to Nick’s floating form, glaring at him with a deep, obvious cough. Rolling his eyes, Nick held the pearl above the smaller fox’s eagerly grabbing paws, dropping it into his grasp, Ignoring the cackles as the smaller ran off to hide away his prize.

”Uhhh...”

**Fox Pearl. Think of them as pure, concentrated spiritual energy. Can’t be stolen, and vanish along with the spirit if they are killed. So that makes them pretty damn rare. And valuable.**

”Nick...”

Shushing her while binding his tails back together, Nick floated down ahead of her, his body giving out just enough light to see the next few rungs of the ladder until her toes tapped rock. Hesitantly, she followed after her Guardian, shuffling her feet forward to minimise her risk of tripping as she peered at the shadowy shapes around her.

With a dull thunk, the lights above burst into being, causing both bunny and fox to yelp, and the store owner to laugh as he dropped down next to Judy.

”You wanted mediums bunny...?”

Blinking to clear her vision, Judy watched as the blur that was Finnick walk ahead of her, twist round and extend his arms out wide.

”Then mediums I got!”

Racks of blades, walls of firearms, bows, staffs, chains... and those were only the weapons. Ornately decorated combs, lavish rings and gem studded chokers lay in polished wood boxes. Instruments were carefully arranged with a tin of polish half hidden behind a violin. Pendulums hung from rods and gloves of all sorts were laid out according to size and style.

The bunny and fox duo glanced at each other with a weary half smile. This was going to take a while...


	4. Kits & Kaboodle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little AU I thought up once upon a time. Judy the Cop, Jack the Forensics Guy & Nick the criminal Psychologist...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am a WildeSavageHopps shipper. Yes, I HAVE been in a trio relationship before. No it is NOT cucking.
> 
> Honestly, this is a series of AU short stories. If this isn’t your thing, please just skip this entry.
> 
> Thank you.

Jack carefully eased open the door to the little rooftop garden, currently deserted at this time of night. The ever present glow of the neon Red Cross tinted everything in a darker shade while the wailing of several ambulances came and went down on the street below.

His target wasn’t making it difficult to find him, leaning over the railing and staring down at the hustle and bustle as mammals came and went. Zootopia General was never quiet, even in the best of times.

The faintest twitch of his tail let Jack know he had been discovered, and slipped through the door, letting it close over with a dull little click that nevertheless sounded ominous to the black striped rabbit. Hands in his pockets, he casually walked over to join the fox, pulling a pair of slim cigars out of his breast pocket.

For a moment, they both stared out at the city until Jack broke the silence, arms folded atop the middle rung of the rail.

”You know... New fathers are usually happier...”

Nick gave a soft, non commital grunt that the rabbit unfortunately knew only too well. Twirling the hare sized cigars in his fingers, he considered his options.

Nick, for all his virtues, every success and acomplishment, was still that slightly broken fox he and Judy had met back in college. And despite their best efforts, he would, inevitably, relapse back when things started to strain the patch job they had made over his soul. Muttered comments from colleagues about trustworthiness, news reports of foxes “resisting arrest”, the occasional confrontation in the street. The ever present jagged scar down one side of his face from the first time he had, backed up by the pair, stood up against the prejudices thrown at him to disasterous effect was evidence enough. Judy had done what she could within the ZPD, fielding as many fox cases as she could and more often than not clearing names and bringing justice to the vulpines. Jack helped in his own little way, confirming if and when any foxes were around crime scenes, like Judy mostly clearing their names, though the occasional actual criminal popped up. While it was having an effect in that foxes weren’t immediately accused by the Precint One officers, it was still a long way to go to tackle age old specism like that.

But if he was honest with himself, Jack couldn’t see a reason for tonight’s malancholy. Nick had, if possible, been more excited for the birth than he and Judy were, having been researching how to look after bunny kits since she first approached them with that little stick with two blue lines. 

His brow furrowed. Obviously someone had said something, done something in between the time he got the excited, if nervous call from the fox, and the time he arrived wearing a visitor’s badge.

Glancing over, he saw the fox turning his Family access pass around over and over, wedding ring glinting slightly.

A calm sort of fury filled the rabbit, careful to keep his face straight. When he had requested a visitor pass, it was given without a thought. Even with the wedding ring and certificates to prove it, many still thought he was pulling some scam when he called himself Judy’s Husband.

Judy would be doubt fill him in once she woke up from her birth induced nap, but for now it was time for damage control.

”Have you gone to see the kits yet? Beautiful little twins... they have Judy’s eyes don’t you think?”

Nick clasped both hands over his pass, keeping his eyes fixed on the building opposite, voice shaky.

”Yeah, yeah... beautiful little bunnies.”

He stuffed his pass into his pocket, arms hanging limply over the railing.

”They got your stripes too. The ears at least.”

Jack mentally stumbled at that, almost dropping the twirling cigar between his fingers. This wasn’t... Hadn’t they been over this?

”Nick... It’s usually traditional for the father to spend the night with his kits.”

The fox grunted and gestured at the door, as if to say “on you go”. Gripping the railing tighter, the black striped bunny promised all sorts of hell for whomever opened their fat, careless mouth this time. Yes, Nick was a fox. Yes, his rabbit wife gave birth to rabbit kits. But that was no concern of theirs...

The edges of the visitor pass bit into his palm, and suddenly the broad smirk the nurse gave him made all kinds of horrible sense...

He closed his eyes and lightly bumped his head against the railing, cursing mentally. If they were in the country... maybe in Deerbrook where they still practiced old Herding traditions, this wouldn’t be a problem, but in the big city..?

Carefully, Jack examined the issues. First issue: Nick was feeling like an Outsider again. Second: Jack needed to make it clear they were both fathers, DNA be damned. Third: He needed to get Nick’s tail down to the room holding their kits, as he knew that once this whole mess blew over, he would kill him self for missing this chance.

He gave a soft half sigh lost to the ever present breeze this high up. Nick was a genius shrunk, it’s true, but he was hopeless when examining himself or people he knew closely.

His visitor pass gently tapped the railing in a steady beat, swinging to and fro as he allowed his thoughts to swirl, collide and burst into new ones, blinking firmly when a particularly promising idea bloomed.

If he had more time, he could come up with a more tactful method, but he still wished Judy was here. She always knew how to cheer their fox up more than he did. As it stood, the only way to help Nick through whatever funk he was in was to pour fuel on the fire... get him so riled up he would forget his mood until he realised what happened. Not the first time they have had to employ this trick, but Jack hoped every time it would be the last.

With his heart sinking deep into his gut at the idea of what he was about to do, Jack nonchalantly turned round to rest his back against the railing, inspecting one of the cigars intently.

”Oh well, if you insist. Probably for the best anyway...”

He cringed internally as the fox’s head turned, ears folding back, fingers teasing the end of the cancer stick to give him something to direct his attention.

”Wouldn’t want to get attached you know. I dare say they’ll make some couple quite happy.”

Nick’s face went from hurt to confusion to suspicious in several swift seconds, taking a step towards his Buck.

”I mean, I was all for aborting them at the start, but you know Judy. Gotta save everyone.”

Jack glanced over and almost broke his cover there and then. The sheer expression of hurt on his face was heartbreaking, but beyond the pain Jack could see the embers of rage threatening to erupt into a fiery blaze. Just needed to carefully tend it...

”I mean, let’s be honest. Who has time for kits when we have our careers to consid-“

Back slamming against the wall, the hare bitterly congratulated himself on a job well done as Nick outright snarled at him, tail lashing angrily behind him.

”How dare you... How fucking  **dare** you?”

Nick lifted the hare easily, back still up against the wall and feet kicking out for purchase that simply wasn’t there, grasping onto Nick’s forearms to keep himself from choking.

”Like hell am I gonna let those two out of my sight! They are... they’re small, and precious and, and innocent and... And like hell will I let you just wash your hands of them!”

Clawed fingers grasped at his jacket, fighting the instinctual reaction to a snarling fox right in front of him, unable to stop the twitching nose but managing to keep his voice somewhat level.

”Wow. You almost sounded like a Father for a moment there.”

Both mammals stared into each other’s faces, both panting in exertion and fear, Jack worrying he had pushed Nick too far before something seemed to click behind his eyes. Wordlessly, he released his grip, letting jack drop back onto solid ground before he twisted round on the spot, back up against the wall and sliding down. The pair sat in silence for several stretched out minutes before Nickfinally sighed and rubbed at his face.

”You can be a right arsehole sometimes Jack.”

The hare shrugged. The truth was the truth.

”Someone has to be, sometimes.”

Nick made a soft noise, neither confirming or denying, tilting his head back to look up at the Black Zootopian sky. Carefully, Jack shuffled to the side, gauging Nick’s reaction and almost scrambled into position when the fox lifted his arm up, leaning against his chest, borrowing some of the strength the arm now draped across his shoulders could provide.

”If we’re being honest here... it wasn’t all a lie... Are we really ready for kits Nick? With our schedules?”

Clawed began to gently run through the fur of the back of his head, and Jack could feel his nerves settling down. 

“As wonderful as the twins are, we have to admit we didn’t plan for this... We’re lucky it was only twins and not a full litter.”

He didn’t resist as Nick pulled him into his lap, arms on his shoulders and crossing behind his back. Instead he burrowed in further, feeling the safest he has been ever since he got the news Judy had gone into labour. He had always found it easy to relax in Nick’s arms, something his two loves had taken full advantage of time and time again. It was an easy way to get Jack to open up about his concerns or plans he was reluctant to share, barely needing coaxing before he would start spilling whatever was going through his mind.

”So... so I’ve... made an appointment... at the Fix Clinic.”

He anticipated Nick’s sharp inhalation of shock, gripping tight to his torso to prevent him from looking him in the eye, unsure he could maintain the courage to keep explaining otherwise.

”Look, we have two beautiful kits and... we don’t need any more... surprises. Not in the near future at any rate.”

The fingers now carefully rubbing the tip of his ear should be illegal, the hare feeling himself relax almost against his will, resting his forehead on Nick’s chest.

”But what if you and Judy... I mean... what if we all want more kits later?”

Jack chuckled softly, eyes closed. At least he was counting himself a part of the family, even if it was as a second thought. He could forsee himself “giving up” many night time visitations to the kits to Nick until the fox well and truly considered himself a doting father. Getting out of changing duty was merely a bonus.

”They take a sample and freeze it for a few years if you want. But honestly?”

Reluctantly pulling himself free from Nick’s chest to look the fox eye to eye, one hand caressing his scarred cheek, he gave a low chuckle, slowly winking.

”If we do have more kids, I’d rather be inclined to adopt a fox. Or find a suitable surrogate if possible.”

He climbed off Nick’s lap before the dams could burst for either of them, Jack dabbing at his eyes while Nick subtly sniffed and cleared his throat, accepting his partner’s hand to help him into his feet. Nervous laughter filled the hospital garden as the pair attempted to console and tidy themselves up a bit, expressing thanks through the soft, lingering touches as they brushed down each other’s backs or tidied their fur.

An hour later, when Judy finally woke, she found her Fox carefully holding the twins in his arms like he was carrying the world’s most valuable soap bubbles, pressed to his chest and defended from the entire world, while her Buck was sitting by his side with a nervous, yet determined expression on his face, a supportive hand resting on Nick’s thigh.

She didn’t ask about the puncture holes in Jack’s shirt, nor the bristling of Nick’s fur, though she’d be sure to wheedle it out of the pair later. For now, she just took in the sight of her Family while the peace lasted.

The innocently scathing remarks she made around the nurses later and their resulting mortified, scandalised faces were just the icing on top.


End file.
